“Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens:
let Thy glory be above all the earth.”
(Ps. 57:11)
God made everything in our world, including man and woman, for the praise of His glory and pleasure (Is. 43:7, Ps. 104:31). In this one simple truth we find the meaning of life: our ultimate purpose for living is to exalt our God, to bring honor and glory to our Maker, and to enjoy Him forever!
But what does it mean to glorify God? How do we honor Him? Enjoy Him? A simple object lesson reveals the answer.
In much the same way as a mirror reflects your image – and the closer you get the better you see yourself – God’s people are to mirror Him. And the closer we get to our Lord, the better His image is reflected in us.
All too often we try to engage God at a distance, assuming He’s out there somewhere controlling His universe. Or worse… we ignore Him altogether. Sure, we believe He exists, but we can be so far away from Him that we do not see His reflection as we look through a glass darkly, and so he isn’t as visible to us as we would like.
And yet, He is more real than our spouse or our best friend. Our challenge is to see God in His Word, to recognize and embrace Him as He is… a real, living Being who has revealed Himself to us. As a result, we can come to know Him and enjoy Him and have a deep and meaningful relationship with Him.
And just like with the mirror, the closer we are to Him, the more of His glory is revealed in us. He is a supremely wondrous God. If we simply seek to know Him and grow closer to Him, His glorious reflection will be seen in us. That is one way in which our life exalts our God. That is one way we bring honor and glory to Him!
- I praise Your glorious name for Your glory is above all the earth (Psa. 104:31; Psa. 138:5; 57:7, 11), and Your name alone is excellent. How I delight in glorifying You and beholding Your glory!
- You are great above the heavens, Lord, and so is Your mercy to me. I am saved by Your mercy, that infinite mercy that springs from Your infinite love.
- Lord Jesus, I desire that You have preeminence in all that I am – my thoughts, affections, and will. You are exalted above me, and in me, and glorified through me. I desire that You have the highest place in my mind. I desire You to inhabit the chief place in my heart. Though Your throne of glory is in heaven, You stoop to dwell with the humble and contrite of heart. Is my heart humble? Make it so, Lord, that You may reside there!
Further References for Psalm 57:11
Ps. 8:1, 8:9, 108:5, 113:4; Isa 33:5
